International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Empowering Women in Architecture: A Study in India Akankshya Managing Director and Chief Architect, Ashtitva Studio (OPC) Pvt. Ltd, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Abstract: Council of Architecture, India data of 2018 shows clearly that the growth of number of registered architects is very slow till 2014 since 2003,we have marked a sudden spurt of the same from 2015 till 2017 again a sudden fall in the year 2018 in India. While women graduate from architecture schools at near parity with men, less than 20 percent become licensed practitioners. In the field of architecture women face a lot of gender discrimination in terms of retention, promotion, earnings, access to seniority, leadership opportunities or belief that their contribution has been taken seriously. One of the most peculiar things about architectural practice is the range of non-merit based factors that may determine the successful practice start up and expansion: access to the dominant socio- economic patronage group, access to capital, access to social networks, access to alternative income streams while the practice is being established, the social advantage of the old school tie or family connections, and even more personal factors – like physical attractiveness, charisma and romantic partners. Of course few women have broken this gendered barrier and came out successfully in their business. But in most of the cases enabling and motivational factors are not available. Marxist feminism weds theory to practice and encourages us to rethink the relationship between architecture schools and the larger professional world. By linking individuals to systems, feminism allows us to perceive structural limitations and to envision dissolving barriers. Keywords: architects, gender discrimination, feminism, empowerment, women 1. Introduction suited to women‘s needs as well as to reduce their drudgery will be given a special focus too (NPFWE:2001)‖. The fast changing face of India is partly due to the brilliant architects in the country. There are so many notable names Women architects represent a technical group but it is not a who have achieved international fame and awards and are homogenous group so also the conditions of women who are working towards a sustainable society. Here is a small in architecture ; they differ widely according to their description of five of the top women architects in India qualification, talents, firms, work engagement and above all whose talents know no boundaries. They are Brinda depending on their networking and capital investment. Somaya an Architect and Conservationist, Sheila is an Women architects are group of entrepreneurs who have internationally acclaimed Architect, Urban Designer, and already selected their carrier for their creative business Sustainability Expert. Chitra Vishwanath‘s Biome .Within the concept of empowerment they have already Environmental Solutions is a Bangalore-based design firm crossed the first step , they have wished and chosen their focused on ecology, architecture and water. Shelia owns her carrier in the path to become an women entrepreneur and architectural firm SKJ Architects in Mumbai with 15 women thus to empower themselves. Next step is the motivational employees in her firm. She has diversified her activities to and enabling aspect which has remained skewed for which cover industrial buildings, educational institutions, they are not able to reach their desired goal. Our following bungalows and interior design of large spaces. Anupama analysis will clearly reveal how empowerment of Indian Kundoo has her focus set on material research and women architects has remained stunted. experimentation towards an architecture that has low environmental impact and is appropriate to the socio- I have conducted this study on the basis of secondary data of economic context(Achoriwala:2018) .Status of these world literature available in various websites, Council of exceptionally brilliant architects can not be generalized Architects (COA), India. Apart from this I have adopted while assessing the status or level of empowerment of participatory observation method, a feminist methodology to women architects in India. collect first hand data. Myself as an architect in the form of experience sharing data were collected from various women For empowerment of women in technological studies, India architects in 2016-17. has adopted special policy and in 2001 it enumerates that, ―Programmes will be strengthened to bring about a greater Table 1: Year Wise Registration of Architects (As on involvement of women in science and technology. These 07.08.2018) will include measures to motivate girls to take up science S.No. Year Number of Architects Percentage and technology for higher education and also ensure that 1 2003 2200 3.36 development projects with scientific and technical inputs 2 2004 2265 3.46 involve women fully. Efforts to develop a scientific temper 3 2005 2311 3.54 4 2006 1943 2.97 and awareness will also be stepped up. Special measures 5 2007 2333 3.56 would be taken for their training in areas where they have 6 2008 2316 3.54 special skills like communication and information 7 2009 3042 4.65 technology. Efforts to develop appropriate technologies 8 2010 4034 6.17 9 2011 3412 5.21 Volume 7 Issue 10, October 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Paper ID: ART20192343 DOI: 10.21275/ART20192343 1562 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 10 2012 3898 5.96 Source;COA:2018,https://www.coa.gov.in/index1.php?lang 11 2013 4001 6.12 =1&level=1&sublinkid=31&lid=44 12 2014 4251 6.5 13 2015 7001 10.71 As on 07.08.2018, there are a total 65365 i.e. 14 2016 7306 11.17 approximately Sixty five thousand Architects in India. In the 15 2017 9631 14.73 past 15 years the number has increased by forty two 16 2018 5421 8.29 thousand. Total: 65365 Percentage 100 Figure 1 Source;COA:2018,https://www.coa.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=1&sublinkid=31&lid=44 Table No-1 reflects number of registered architects since imbalances, for while women graduate from architecture 2003 to 2018 in India(COA:2018).In the year 2003 they schools at near parity with men, less than 20 percent become were only 2200 which has raised as high as 5421 in 2018.It licensed practitioners( Stratigakos,D:2012)”. In the field of was the highest in 2017 i,e 9631.We have observed many Architecture women face a lot of gender discrimination. ups and down in this number within last one and half decade Burns expressed, ―I have experienced different treatment to in the country. Figure no –1 shows clearly that the growth male colleagues in terms of retention, promotion, earnings, of number of registered architects is very slow till 2014 access to seniority, leadership opportunities or belief that my since 2003,wehave marked a sudden spurt of the same from contribution has been taken seriously. The AJ 2012 survey 2015 till 2017 again a sudden fall in this in the year 2018 in confirmed that nearly 50% of the women surveyed had India. experienced these forms of gendered patterns of behavior‖ 2. Ratio of Male and Female Architects in There is a gap between these two points of views, between India belief in individual agency – our capacity to act in the world and control our destiny – and belief in the actions of culture Out of these fifty thousand Architects, 60% (29,712) is male in producing and supporting non-merit based patterns in while 40% (19,751) is female. The number of women workplace treatment. One of the most peculiar things about architects has increased in the past 5 years from 34% to architectural practice is the range of non-merit based factors 40%. that may determine the successful practice start up and expansion: access to the dominant socio-economic patronage An interesting fact is that while 35% of the male architects group, access to capital, access to social networks, access to are self employed, only about 22 % of female architects are alternative income streams while the practice is being self employed (COA: 2013). This could be because the established, the social advantage of the old school tie or general perception about women architects is that they are family connections, and even more personal factors – like better suited to be the draftsmen, designers and so people physical attractiveness, charisma and romantic partners. hesitate to approach a woman architect for architectural Burn commented ―I have seen radically talented architects services. Due to non availability of gender divide data for fail in practice due to psychopathic personality traits even current year; this analysis is based on 2013. while their design practice and design innovation were brilliant‖(Burn:2012). Table 2: Age Groups of Architects as on 1.04.2017 Srl No Age Group Number Of Architects Percentage 1 20-25 5587 10.95 2 26-35 23828 46.70 3 36-45 12151 23.80 4 46-55 5050 09.90 5 56-65 2273 04.45 6 66-75 1471 02.88 7 76-85 589 01.15 8 86-above 49 0.09 Total 50998 (100) An international source says ―the crucial transition from Source:https://www.coa.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=1 school to practice is at the heart of the profession‘s gender &sublinkid=31&lid=44 Volume 7 Issue 10, October 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Paper ID: ART20192343 DOI: 10.21275/ART20192343 1563 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Figure 2: Age Groups of Architects Table no.2 reveals the percentage of young architects could still be practicing at 90! At a roundtable meeting of between the age group of 26 to 35 years are the maximum women architects in America, a woman in her late thirties i.e.; 46.7 percent ,next to it is the hub of middle aged group who works at a mid-sized firm spoke passionately during the constituting 23.8 percent who belong to the age group of Q-and-A about how hard she had struggled to ―make it to 36-45yrs.